7 posts in this topic Last Reply October 7, 2017

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Inspired by the crazy heat spell we're going through, I thought I'd ask the question to the Michigan club members.... How hot is too hot to play golf?

If you play golf in Michigan, you either enjoy playing in the cold, or you're ok with a short season. So the idea of hot weather keeping the courses empty in late September just seems wrong. But that's what I experienced this past weekend.

After meeting my son in a near empty Alma golf course Saturday and riding 18 in the 95° heat, I thought it would be a good idea to walk 18 yesterday back up in my neck of the woods. After all, it was a mild 90° up here.

I made a 2:10 tee time and arrived early to a mostly deserted course. It's possible that hopes of the Lions winning their 3rd straight might have contributed, but I suspect the weather was the main culprit. I have to admit, I wasn't sure how well I'd hold up. After all, I've lived up here for the last 22 years. If I've become acclimated to the cold, the opposite is certainly true.

But this is golf we're talking about and the addiction has far too tight of a stranglehold to allow for self control and common sense - especially when faced with the possibility of no more golf in another month. So before I left I started with the fluids, brought a lot more than usual with me and put some thought into pacing myself. I walked slow, removed my hat while in the shade, and stopped for short breather's after climbing steep hills. Basically, I was acting my age for once. If my friends back home would have seen me behave this way, the term "pantywaist" would have been on the mild side of the insults they'd have slung my way.

By the time I'd sunk my last putt, it had taken almost 4 hours to play 18 holes - and that's with no one holding me up.

There is a point on either end of the thermometer where golf just isn't fun. The cold doesn't always bother me as much as it does some, but to a lesser degree than with the heat, there are health risks with playing in the cold. I've suffered from mild frost bite and those spots on my toes are susceptible every winter. Last time I checked, Footjoys doesn't make golf shoes lined with 1000 grams of thinsulate (I'm sure someone will correct me on that assumption). Then there are the early signs of arthritis in the joints. Nothing like an off-center hit off a long iron in upper 30 temps to make you feel alive... much in the same way drops of sweat burned my eyes while playing in yesterday's heat.

Still, I was glad to have played. Michigan is a beautiful state and there are a lot of nice courses here to play. Almost anytime I'm out there I feel lucky. Waiting for perfect weather just isn't an option.

Nice way to express it. I've played 4 times in the last 5 days but never went out after 10 a.m. We have set record temperatures with extreme humidity and no wind and it is easy to get dehydrated. Since the season is so short, I'm usually more concerned with playing when it is cold instead of hot.

I agree with the many nice courses in Michigan. Every time I'm out, I always think that I'm so lucky to be healthy enough and have enough free time to enjoy the game of golf.

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Look at my profile photo to tell the story. My friends and I play in "golf league" every Wednesday. Golf league starts when they will let us on the course and ends when it snows. That photo is from one of the last rounds of the year. I'll play when it is pretty hot or cold. Not fond of rain though.

Recently I set up a simulator using Foresight GC2 in an industrial building. Now golf league goes year round. Winter simulator golf is a blast.

Look at my profile photo to tell the story. My friends and I play in "golf league" every Wednesday. Golf league starts when they will let us on the course and ends when it snows. That photo is from one of the last rounds of the year. I'll play when it is pretty hot or cold. Not fond of rain though.

Recently I set up a simulator using Foresight GC2 in an industrial building. Now golf league goes year round. Winter simulator golf is a blast.

There is a winter simulator golf league in Lapeer, which is about 15 minutes from my house. I do believe, I'll play there this winter. They are reasonable, charging $15 for 9 holes in which $5 is skins.

There is a winter simulator golf league in Lapeer, which is about 15 minutes from my house. I do believe, I'll play there this winter. They are reasonable, charging $15 for 9 holes in which $5 is skins.

There is a winter simulator golf league in Lapeer, which is about 15 minutes from my house. I do believe, I'll play there this winter. They are reasonable, charging $15 for 9 holes in which $5 is skins.

There's a guy in Cadillac who set up two simulators and I believe still has leagues. He doesn't open until late December and closes as soon as the snow starts to clear. Seems like he does quite well.

Apart from the league, he's a bit pricier but it's the same price per hour whether you're by yourself or with others. With a few playing, it can be pretty reasonable.

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It hasn't been too cold in NC, but it has been as wet as I can remember. I have played once this week, and it has rained every day, and is supposed to rain this weekend. I've played less this winter than any winter in recent memory. Hurry up spring!

Also happening on the LPGA:
The full videos doesn't show it, but I'm wondering if Olson gave a sign or something to Jutanugarn not to mark here. Jutanugarn goes to start marking her ball, it looks like, and she looks over at Olson, motioning something, and immediately stops. This seems awfully close to the line, if not over it.
LPGA apparently deleted a tweet about this, too:
Yikes.

I chose time because a lot of people I know don't want to play because it's too long for them and they don't have the time. Also here in Canada, Quebec accessibility is starting to be an issue, probably more than in the U.S. A lot of golf course are sold to property developers and it's starting to limit the choices of course at close range. I don't think money is an issue, there is always deals you can find to play golf at a discount and other activities cost as much as golf these days.